2nd Tier 1 extension - partner shortfall for maintenance

[jasonolivier17]

Hi there,

Hope you can help with some advice. My wife and I both arrived in the UK in 2009 (at that time unmarried) on Tier 1 General visas and we've extended once already. We got married at the end of 2011 and my wife was not a dependent when we arrived in 2009.

Since our first Tier 1 extension, my wife has started a company and has not earning an income in her first year. There's a chance that she wouldn't have earned enough income for the second extension so is there a way of my income counting towards hers as we're now married? If not, any other options open to us?

Many thanks in advance.

Jason

[Lucapooka]

Tier 1 migrants can't use the income of their partners (or anyone else for that matter) to claim points. If there is no prospect of sufficient income perhaps she might consider leaving the UK and applying for entry clearance your dependent. She can't switch her status inside the UK.

[jasonolivier17]

[quote="Lucapooka"]Tier 1 migrants can't use the income of their partners (or anyone else for that matter) to claim points. If there is no prospect of sufficient income perhaps she might consider leaving the UK and applying for entry clearance your dependent. She can't switch her status inside the UK.[/quote]

Thanks for the speedy and useful response, Luca. If my wife gets a PBS dependent visa, I take it the time her time spent as a Tier 1 visa holder will also be counted towards ILR?

Thanks again.

J

[Greenie]

No -the time spent on tier 1 general won't count and she will need to spend 5 years as your dependent to qualify for ilr.

[Trickytok]

Nope... She wil have to rely on you to get ILR... She wont be able to do it herself afterwards....

Tier 1 migrants can't use the income of their partners (or anyone else for that matter) to claim points. If there is no prospect of sufficient income perhaps she might consider leaving the UK and applying for entry clearance your dependent. She can't switch her status inside the UK.

Thanks for the speedy and useful response, Luca. If my wife gets a PBS dependent visa, I take it the time her time spent as a Tier 1 visa holder will also be counted towards ILR?

Thanks again.

J

[jasonolivier17]

Thanks very much all!

J